bearing
/ˈbɛɹɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.22 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of a beam, column, or other device, carrying weight or load.
noun
The horizontal angle between the direction of an object and another object, or between it and that of true north; a heading or direction.
noun
One's understanding of one's orientation or relative position, literally or figuratively.
noun
Relevance; a relationship or connection.
Example Sentences
- "a gift-bearing visitor"
- "That's a bearing wall."
- "The smaller 1/4" shank version features a bearing at the top edge to limit depth of cut, making it especially useful for curved glue joints."
- "This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold to strike out innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the several voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management of the ship in storms, in the style of sailors; likewise the account of longitudes and latitudes; [...]"
- "Do we go left here or straight on? Hold on, let me just get my bearings."
- "I started a new job last week, and I still haven't quite found my bearings."
Etymology
From Middle English beringe, berynge, berende, berande, berand, from Old English berende (“bearing; fruitful”) (also as synonym Old English bǣrende), from Proto-Germanic *berandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *beraną (“to bear; carry”), equivalent to bear + -ing.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/
- British English: /ˈbɛə̯ɹɪŋ/